I love this time of year. The weeks from Thanksgiving to New Year’s are a whirl of activity, and we love every stinking minute of it. To paraphrase Joe Biden, Christmas in the Dry it in the Water house is a big f$&%ing deal.Over the years we’ve implemented a number of holiday traditions, and this year each of those traditions has been particularly fun. Putting up the tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the trip downtown to enjoy the Christmas festivities, making gingerbread houses, baking Christmas cookies, and wrapping presents have all helped make me so jolly I can barely stand it.
Our annual drive around town to enjoy the Christmas lights is coming up as well, and although the kids are having fun with Buddy—the Elf on the Shelf—and the freedom of Christmas vacation, they just might explode if they have to wait much longer for the big day to arrive.But while I feel like I’m even more joyful this year than in years past, I’m also more thankful. More grateful. More appreciative.And I think a big reason for that is that this year I’ve noticed a lot more people who view the holidays as something to be endured rather than enjoyed.I don’t know if I’m just paying attention more this year, or whether I’m actually hearing more people discuss their Christmas doldrums, but these are holiday feelings with which I am not at all familiar.I’m sure part of it is just my personality. I’m a rather easygoing guy, and if I can choose between having fun or dwelling on the reasons that I’m not having fun, then I’m going to choose having fun. And I also make conscious decisions to recognize, absorb and appreciate whatever’s happening during a particular moment because life will never be like that again, no matter what’s happening.However, I’m also incredibly lucky. I’m lucky in being a “look at the brightside” sort of fellow, but I’m also lucky that I haven’t encountered the tragedy, tribulations and heartache that make the holiday season so difficult for many people.It’s easy for me to say, “The holiday season is so much fun!” I’ve got a great life. Unlike so many people in this country and around the world I don’t worry where my next meal is going to come from, or whether my neighborhood is safe, or whether I’ll be able to get treatment if I get sick.But even more than that, I feel complete. I’m not longing for a loved one no longer here. There will be no empty chairs at my table on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.And I can’t imagine a greater gift than that.It’s difficult to put oneself in other people’s shoes sometimes. Crabbiness and sadness usually have an underlying cause. Ebenezer Scrooge wasn’t born saying “Bah humbug.” Life happened.The great difficulty is to avoid letting what has already happened negatively affect how we experience what’s happening right now. Easier said than done, I’m sure. What we know we should do, and what we can do are sometimes two completely different things.Time is an obsession of mine, and I’m always thinking about it. How many years until retirement? How many summers do my kids have left before they lose summers to adulthood? How many more Sleep In Saturdays?I enjoy the holidays so much because of the answer to one question. How many more Christmases do I have left with my family? Actually, I don’t know the answer. But I do know that on Friday I’ll have one fewer Christmas left than I do today. And that’s enough for me to do everything I can to enjoy today.My wife doesn’t have a blog, but in a Facebook status that’s just 85 words in length, she has summed up everything I’ve been trying to say for the last 650 words:As the hustle and bustle of holiday prep comes to a grand finale I can't help but reminisce about past Christmases. I wish we had one more to celebrate with those who are no longer here—to revel in their company and make memories one last time. That's not possible, so I'm trying to make a conscious effort to enjoy the time we have with family and friends, holidays or not. We're all "busy," but in the end our loved ones are all that really matters.PREVIOUS POST: My Interview with North Korea's Kim Jong UnIF YOU LIKED THIS POST I BET YOU'LL ALSO LIKE: I Suck at Christmas Shopping but my Wife Doesn't+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Hey, did you like reading this? If so, you should Share it on Facebook so you can bring joy to others. You can also find tons of other posts by me here. And you can like my Facebook page, Brett Baker Writes. Please.
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